In the end, for their father’s sake, the only thing left for them to do was to get out of town. Anyway, they had a baby brother far more suited to the business acumen that their father had always wished they had. Brought up at a time, when he hadn’t had to watch his father work hard manually on the factory floor, the way he and Luke had, he’d make a much better partner in the family business. They decided they owed their father a little bit of pride after their condemnation of the Channing clan.
His life flashing before his very eyes, Jed lay beneath the shade of a tall, leafy tree, around noon, and reflected upon the life they had left behind. It also struck him funny that lives could intertwine in the oddest of ways. Meeting Hannah had stirred up all the memories of a time that had once been both the best and worst parts of his life. Certainly after Rose, he decided he’d never get embroiled with another woman again. So he found it ironic that he should now find himself looking out for the very female whose father had ruined their father’s business and put him at the mercy of vultures like Matthew Holden.
He drank a little water from his flask and chewed on a piece of beef jerky left over from the cattle drive. If he’d had time, he would have built a fire and made a pot of coffee. He’d even spotted a couple of plump rabbits that would have made a tasty meal. But it was their lucky day. He couldn’t spare more than a couple of hours rest, and his eyes felt heavy. A short nap was in order. Maggie hadn’t known if McCabe’s men had already started off on their journey but he’d catch a couple of hour’s shuteye while the sun was at its hottest. Afterward, he’d be more refreshed and alert to take them by surprise, or better still, warn Jacob and William if he reached them first.
Later, when he reached the forest trail, the light was fading. He’d still seen no sign of a single human being. He hoped it was a good indication of things to come.
He started talking to his horse. He’d picked up the habit on the cattle drive when he’d spent hours alone out on the flanks or scouting up front. From the very first day, he found he had a knack for scouting. Luke had often teased him about his odd quirk. In response, he’d only laugh. He’d tell him that he talked to his horse because he got more sense out of it than he did from most of the men. Luke hadn’t disagreed with him on that score. Yes, life might have been tough but it was the making of him.
As night fell, the smell of smoke drifted on the air. Jed’s belly suddenly growled at the delicious aroma of cooked meat that accompanied it. Some poor creature hadn’t been as fortunate as the rabbits he’d spied earlier. He followed his nose until he found himself by a crop of rocks hidden in the trees.
He didn’t know who’d made the camp so he tethered his horse to a branch and crept up the bank of rocks until he had a good view of the makeshift camp below him. Set up by a tiny stream, four horses were tethered to a tree. They stood quietly and swayed a little from side to side. Their tails swished rhythmically as they took a welcome break from their journey. In the silence, the only sound was the crackle of flames as it burned freshly chopped wood. The smell of cooked meat also became stronger. It accompanied the aroma of strong coffee. It tickled Jed’s nostrils and taste buds, and made his mouth water.
A man sat huddled by the fire wrapped in a blanket, his hat perched atop his head. While watching the meat and the coffee pot, he seemed to have nodded off. The skewered rabbit dripped mouth-watering juices into the flames, making them spit and spark. There also appeared to be another cowboy getting a bit of shut-eye too. A lumpy bedroll lay in the shadows, a little way from the fire.
As he crept a little closer, to get a better look at whom he might be dealing with, Jed suddenly felt the cold steel of a gun barrel press into the back of his neck. It accompanied the click of a gun as it echoed through the evening air.
“Hold it right there, cowboy,” a voice softly growled. “State your business or you’ll be drawing your last breath.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jed’s heart skipped a beat. He slowly raised his hands in surrender.
Damn. He was usually better than this. So busy thinking about food, he’d become distracted and failed to hear the gunman creep up behind him. He needed to take things one step at a time now. The man below, by the fire, hadn’t moved but for all he knew, more waited in the shadows ready to shoot him.
“Steady on there,” he said carefully. “I’m not meaning you any harm. The delicious smell of coffee and food led me here. I haven’t eaten since yesterday.” At least, he told the truth on that score.
“So why are you sneaking around and spying on us like you are?” his captor asked. “You could have ridden straight into our camp.”
Into McCabe’s camp?
Into Jacob’s camp?
Jed still didn’t know who he might be dealing with.
“I’m a stranger in these parts,” he explained. “I don’t know how kindly you folks take to intrusion.” He hoped he sounded convincing.
The end of the barrel pressed harder into the base of his skull.
Not very, he decided.
“Get to your feet. Slowly. Maybe then we’ll go down and discuss hospitality,” the gunman ordered. “You alone?”
“Yes,” Jed answered and gradually got to his feet.
Once standing, the position of the barrel altered slightly. Jed sensed the man at his back was smaller than him. That might be an advantage should he need to fight his way out of trouble. However, as his captor pressed the gun even more firmly against his head, any thoughts of turning and taking him by surprise seemed out of the question. He’d pull the trigger before he even got to throw a punch.
“And don’t try anything funny,” the man said softly. It confirmed his decision to remain passive for now. “My finger is a little itchy. Know what I mean?”
Yes, Jed did. He also decided that now wasn’t the time to have his brains decorating the landscape. He’d rather hang on to them for a while longer.
As they entered the camp, the man by the fire didn’t move. In fact, if Jed didn’t know better, he’d say he still slept, like his partner under the bedroll, instead of watching the grub. Huddled over, he’d pulled his hat well down over his eyes. But then another figure, gun in hand, stepped out from the trees and into the clearing. Jed felt his scalp prickle with fear.
Shit. So there were more of them.
Unlike his captor, the newcomer stood taller, a bit like himself. Jed didn’t recognize him as one of the men with whom he and Luke had fought the previous day. However, from what Maggie had told him, McCabe had a whole load of men up on his ranch. They’d slithered in from all directions and were more than happy to work for him and terrorize the townsfolk. Judging by his size and demeanor, this man might well fit the picture of one of them. All the same, he didn’t seem to have bothered much about his appearance for a while.
His black hair hung long and unkempt. It matched several weeks’ growth of facial hair. For a few minutes, his keen, dark eyes regarded him curiously and with suspicion until, finally satisfied that the man standing behind Jed had everything under control, he slid his gun back into its holster. Like the rest of his clothes, a layer of grime covered his gun belt. Jed quickly decided this man had ridden the trail for a long time.
“Found him spying on our camp,” his companion, still behind him, said.
The dark-haired man glanced back at Jed for an explanation. He’d still not spoken but his mean look demanded one.
“Like I told your friend here,” he said. “The smell of your cooking drew me here. I wasn’t sure what sort of reception I’d get if I rode straight in.”
The man contemplated him for a few more seconds before nodding toward his companion.
“Take his gun just to make sure,” he ordered. His rough voice grated, deep and gravelly. It bore all the hallmarks of a man who wouldn’t be messed around with. He indicated a spot by the fire. “You’re welcome to join us if it’s a morsel you want. But you can understand our caution. Can’t be too careful round these parts.” He crouched by
his motionless companion, still huddled by the fire.
Light dawned. Suddenly, Jed could see it wasn’t a man at all but a bundle of provisions covered by a blanket and with a hat sitting on top for good measure. He glanced across at the bedroll. Again, no man lay beneath it, just saddlebags and provisions. He frowned. What were these men playing at?
The cowboy picked up the coffee pot sitting in the embers. He poured some thick brown liquid into a tin mug, stained dark brown from weeks of usage.
The gun slowly moved from out of Jed’s neck. He felt further heartened. The click told him it was now returned to safety, although, as he stepped away from his captor, Jed felt his gun slide from out of its holster. Nevertheless, gut instinct told him that these weren’t McCabe’s men, after all.
He turned to get a good look at the man who’d bettered him, pleased to know he’d got something right. The man didn’t stand as tall as he did yet he would still make an imposing foe if anyone got on the wrong side of him.
Like his partner, after weeks on the trail, he appeared disheveled and dusty. His blond hair was bleached almost white by the sun, and his cornflower blue eyes, surrounded by crow’s feet, sparkled in a tanned, weather-beaten face. However, he’d paid a little more heed to his facial appearance than his companion. A thick moustache covered his upper lip, while just a few days’ of beard growth covered his chin. His eyes looked astoundingly familiar and Jed couldn’t deny the strong likeness to a golden-haired young woman he’d left back in town. His heart leapt.
Thank God. He’d found them before McCabe’s men had. No wonder they seemed so damned jumpy about the security of their camp. It looked like they expected trouble after all.
“You William Turner?” he asked.
“And who’s asking?” The man’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Jed offered him his hand.
“Jed Daniels,” he replied by way of introduction.
“And do I know you?” The man still sounded suspicious.
“No, but I know your sister, Hannah.”
Jacob, for clearly that was who the other traveler was, sprang to his feet. He caught Jed roughly by the shoulder and turned him to face him.
“What about Hannah?” he demanded.
All Jed’s previous presumptions about the man vanished. Here stood a man who wasn’t going to suffer fools gladly. His dark features regarded him menacingly. For a second, Jed thought he might hit him just for speaking her name.
“Whoa there,” he protested, raising his hands above shoulder level and presenting his palms in submission. “I’m here as a friend. McCabe’s sent some of his men out to intercept and kill you before you get back to town. My brother, Luke, is with Hannah. He’s doing all he can to make certain McCabe doesn’t call in your father’s debt before you get back.”
Jacob’s brow pulled together in a hard frown. Jed could see he remained uncertain of his intentions. After all, he could still be one of McCabe’s men staking out their camp before the others came along. That would certainly explain his sneaking up on them like he had done.
“He hasn’t touched her—yet,” Jed pressed on but the slight pause emphasized that he knew all about McCabe’s business with them. “But no one is lifting a finger to help her. Everyone in town is shit-scared of him and his men.”
He was also tempted to say that Jacob was long overdue in getting back to help Hannah and pay off his debt but the grim line of the man’s mouth, and the steely glare of his eyes, didn’t invite Jed’s criticism at this particular stage of their acquaintance. If he wanted to hang on to his looks a while longer, he’d be best not inviting Jacob’s fist in his face. The way he’d balled his hands didn’t present a comforting sight.
“Luke and I got into town yesterday and heard what was going on,” he explained. “We got on the wrong side of McCabe ourselves.” He gave a short chuckle but it didn’t contain any humor. “Then I discovered that McCabe’s been taking all your mail intended for Hannah, including that telegraph you sent yesterday. Hannah has no idea you’re on your way back or what you’ve been up to this past year. She’s been living on hope and nothing more. Anyway, I thought it best to get out here and warn you and let Luke keep his eye on her.”
The man still didn’t speak. All earlier menace drained from his face. His eyes now filled with concern.
“Hannah hasn’t received any of my letters?”
“Only one at the very beginning,” Jed answered, remembering the conversation they’d had over supper.
Jacob’s hand found his forehead. He circled the tips of two fingers, on the spot between his eyes to alleviate the stress. As he pondered Jed’s news, he closed his eyes for a moment.
“Poor Hannah,” he eventually muttered. “I wrote to her every week, wherever I was. I didn’t expect her to receive them all, what with bandits and Indians still attacking travelers, but I thought some might have got through.” He paused for a second. “Bastard,” he spat. Jed deduced his expletive was aimed at McCabe. “She must think I’ve deserted her altogether.”
“Hannah still has faith in you and that you’ll make it back in time,” Jed reassured him. “But she doesn’t know McCabe has sent some of his men after you.”
“And your brother? He’s capable of protecting her?”
“Yes, but I’ve warned him not to say anything to her about where I was going. After all, I didn’t know whether I’d be too late. That’s why you found me sneaking around. I wasn’t sure whose camp I’d come across. When I saw four horses, I thought maybe you were some of McCabe’s men.”
“Two are pack horses,” William explained.
Jed nodded in understanding. They’d made a long journey over some inhospitable country.
“So, if you’re already here, McCabe’s men won’t be far behind,” Jacob said.
“And your fire and the smell of food will lead them straight to you. Like it did me,” Jed announced.
Jacob and William exchanged a knowing glance. Jed quickly looked from one man to the other.
“That’s your intention,” he said in acknowledgement.
“Nothing finer than the smell of coffee and meat cooking to attract an empty stomach,” Jacob grinned.
Jed grinned back and nodded. He now recognized his foolishness. He’d walked straight into their trap. They’d made it look as though a man sat by the fire while another slept. They’d hidden and circled the camp while keeping watch for intruders. They’d anticipated McCabe’s treachery all along.
“Does McCabe know you’re here?” Jacob asked.
“Hopefully not,” Jed replied.
“Good. That gives us an extra element of surprise. And an extra gun.” He turned to Hannah’s brother. “Give him back his weapon, William.” He grinned back at Jed, “And you’d better grab that coffee and a leg off that rabbit. Can’t have your belly growling and giving our positions away, can we? Then, we’d better get into place and wait.”
Jed stooped toward the fire, his grumbling belly eager to do as Jacob suggested but, halfway there, he froze. The horses gave little whinnies and shuffled nervously in the darkness, the way they usually did when they sensed intruders.
The three men exchanged silent glances. Jed reached out and took his gun from William’s hand. It looked like they didn’t have long to wait, after all.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Guns in hands, the three men melted into the trees and shadows surrounding the camp. Only the pile of provisions, its hat still perched on top, remained in its pose by the fire. The bedroll, on the other side of the fire, still looked suspiciously like a sleeping man. They reminded Jed that he’d totally misjudged the two men. They’d both known exactly what to expect from McCabe.
His senses on alert, he heard a twig crack.
In the distance, horses crushed the undergrowth beneath their hooves.
Jed tried to figure out how many.
Five? Six?
He wasn’t sure but it certainly sounded as if they outnumbered Jacob, William and
himself.
Another crunch broke the silence. It was so slight, it might have been a wild animal hunting for food, but Jed’s hair prickled in the nape of his neck. He knew it was a predator of the human kind who scouted round the camp. A short silence followed. Charged with anticipation, Jed had to force himself to breathe slowly, quietly, and evenly.
Suddenly, several shots rang out. They echoed round the forest.
The bullets thudded dully into the two dummies that Jacob and William had positioned by the fire. The one sitting by the fire crumpled over into a heap and fell into the flames. The blanket around it caught alight. The bedroll never moved.
Jed kept his eyes firmly on the top of the crop of rocks, where he too had first spied on the camp. The gun flash had come from up there. But still he didn’t move. He just waited.
The shooter stood up and hollered excitedly, “I’ve got ’em. Got ’em both! They’re both dead.”
It would have been so easy to shoot him there and then, but all three men resisted the temptation to fire. They needed to know exactly how many other gunmen they would be dealing with.
The killer slithered down the rocks and into the clearing. He gave a raucous hoot of laughter as he strode across the camp toward the bedroll. He pulled back his foot to give it a good kick as five other men rode into the clearing. As his foot made contact, he sent the pile of provisions scattering over the ground and into the fire.
“Shit.” His eyes nervously met those of McCabe’s other cronies. They all looked in unison at the burning hat and blanket, now well ablaze in the flames. Comprehension dawned.
“Shit,” he repeated.
It was the last word he uttered as Jed put a bullet between his eyes. At the same time, Jacob and William opened fire on the other riders.
Simultaneously, two men fell to the ground, lifeless. Their horses shied and whinnied in fear at the sudden explosion of noise. They trampled supplies underfoot, and created further mayhem around the camp. The three remaining riders attempted to whirl their horses around. At the same time, they fired erratically into the trees, in the hope of hitting the two men whom they’d come to kill.
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